Advantage Database Server Shutdown

[former_member1062412]

Hello All - -

I'm new to ADS. Most of my experience is with MS SQL Server.

We have started using a third party application that uses ADS as its backend. The software vendor recommends simply copying the database directory as a backup method, saying that we should use backup software that will copy files, even when they are still open.

As an experienced IT/database professional, this makes me uncomfortable.

My alternate proposal was to simply stop the ADS service (on Windows server). That way, there will be no locked files.

The software vendor countered: "Shutting down the Advantage database is complicated as you need to be sure all users are logged off."

Is this true?

As a database administrator, I often have to shut MS SQL Server down. It will gracefully close connections, terminate transactions, an so on. Is it true that stopping the ADS service is a risky business, requiring that the DBA manually log each user off?

- - Herb

[former_member751964]

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[former_member1252007]

Hello Herb; If all you want is to backup your db, then there is no need to shutdown. Just use the backup utility. It works great even as transactions are currently happening. The way it works, is that the backup utility takes a snapshot of the db at the moment the backup begins. All transactions that began after that point are left out of the backup. Look for backup utility on the documentation.

Hope that helps,

[former_member1314736]

I take care of a large 30GB sybase 11 database. I back it up two ways.

A. Easiest is to shutdown the sysbase server which will unlock files

I run a batch before and after.

for /f "skip=4 tokens=1" %%a in ('net files') do net files %%a /close
Timeout /t 20
NET STOP ADVANTAGE /YES
Timeout /t 20

Here I run Cobain Backup which basically zips the entire directory. Then after its done I run another batch to turn it back on. Cobain just controls the batch files I am running in proper order. It has a built in Zip and built in FTP

NET START ADVANTAGE
Timeout /t 30

So

1. Turn it off

2. Back up the folder to zip

3. Turn it back up

4. Auto sFTP to offsite

B. You can back up the VM is it is aware of sybase. I would not trust it with live files, I do this off hours

Altaro backup works fine.

Been doing this 10+ years and no issues on restoring. Once in a while even shutting down the service a few files will remain locked. To ensure they are all unlocked I will put in a server reboot batch that runs before any backups are started.